


Patience

by Oak_Leaf



Category: The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
Genre: Ficlet, Fluff, Gen, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Pre-Canon, just some baby!Gen being mischevious and extra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:02:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21535642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oak_Leaf/pseuds/Oak_Leaf
Summary: Little Gen schemes to prank his cousins.
Kudos: 12





	Patience

A thief must be unpredictable. That is what Grandfather has been teaching Gen. A theft is all the more difficult when they know how and when you will attempt it; a hiding spot is no good if they expect to find you there. Gen’s cousins would know to look for him in the trees lining the garden, clinging to the branches and hiding from them. Besides, the trees made terrible cover this time of year, with their limbs bare and leaves raked into piles on the ground.

His cousins would not expect to find him in the piles of leaves.

The trouble, Gen decided, would be staying still enough that the leaves did not rustle or quiver around him. It was more than just not moving–his breathing might give him away. He could hold his breath for almost two minutes, but he would need to hide for longer than that. Instead, Gen worked on breathing shallowly. He spent several nights lain awake in bed to practice keeping still, watching the blanket over him to as he tried not to let it rise and fall with his chest.

Once he was satisfied with that, the next step required sneaking into the storerooms off the palace barns. That meant braving his way past the horse stalls. Gen skittered by them with a wary eye on the tall creatures with their long, dangerous legs and sharp,dangerous teeth. At the bins where fresh and clean straw was stored, he shifted through the piles until he found a piece that would suit his needs. A long and hollow stem. He put it between his lips and gave a few practice puffs, and then nodded. Perfect.

Now, the trick was getting into a leaf pile without being spotted.

At dawn the next day, all the boys in the dorms were roused from their beds and herded into the training yard for morning exercise. The girls filed in from their dorm, and all of them sparred. The soldiers who taught them paired them off and watched, correcting them when they fumbled a stance or attack, and nodding in approval when they did well. After an hour of that, the children were dismissed to breakfast, and then tutiring until lunch. There was a small space of free time before lunch, and during that, most of his cousins would take to the gardens, seizing advantage of the last of the clear weather before winter’s snows piled up. This was when Gen would pounce, quite literally.

He darted out to the rear garden before the rest of his cousuins, and found a tall pile of leaves by a cluster of bushes. The garden was all but empty except for a handful of gardeners, who were busy on the otherside of the lawn. When their backs were turned, Gen ducked down and burrowed inside the leaves. The pile settled around him. He pulled out his hollow straw and poked it through the leaves until it reached open air, and held the other end in his mouth. There were stories of heroes using just such a thing to hide in water, and Gen felt clever for having realized it would work as well in leaves. He rested in a crouch on his knees and elbows.

And now, he waited.

Patience was another skill important for thieves. One that Gen had not mastered, yet. But Grandfather said he could learn it, with practice, and this would be nothing if not excellent practice. Grandfather would be proud, and he would grin when Gen told him how well he surprised Agus or Breia or whichever cousin came close enough for him to jump out at. Grandfather always appreciated a good prank.

Gen sat and watched through the leaves, and grinned in anticipation. Some of his cousins made it to the garden, but none of them walked near his hiding spot. They were soon followed by his oldest sisters, Adrasteia, who did make her way over to his side if the garden. She knelt and poked at one of the bushes, and Gen tensed, wondering if she was looking for him.

Footsteps crunched across the gravel and twigs, and legs appeared by Adrasteia. Gen couldn’t see their face, but judging by the mudied pants stuck with leaves, it was one of the gardeners.

“Good day, Lady Adrasteia,” he greeted her.

Adrasteia looked up, and all but beamed. “A good day it is. One of the last good days before winter, I suppose.”

They exchanged pleasantries. The gardens looked so barren this time of year, Adrasteia said. Yes, the gardener agreed, hardly worth a visit. Adrasteia had just come to see browned plants and empty trees. Oh? the gardener asked. Adrasteia grinned. She was also searching for her youngest brother. It seemed he had skipped out on training with their father. Again.

All of the children in the palace of Eddis trained as a group, at least twice a day but more often as they grew older. The Minister of War, however, made a point to train with his children personally. He met with them before lunch three days a week. This was one of those days.

Gen smirked. It had been an excellent time to plan this scheme with the leaves.

His sister and the gardener then lowered their voices, and Gen’s ear pricked up. The quieter people got, the more interesting were the things they said, and the more he paid attention. He couldn’t hear all of it, but their conversation took a certain sentimental turn. Gen made a face. His oldest siblings had been getting like tgat recently.

This did give him some excellent things Adrasteia about, and maybe he could get some favors out of her if he let on to what he knew and promised not to tell anyone.

The gardener reached down to take her hand and help her rise, and when they hands parted, Gen caught a sparkle in the gardener’s palm.

“What will people think if people recognize this as yours?” the gardener asked.

“That you managed to steal a broach off the Thief’s granddaughter?” Adrasteia teased.

“How careless of you to let that happen.”

“Oh, no, my reputation.Whatever will I do?”

Her voice was dripping with honey. Gen made another face.

The two left, and Gen waited once more. None of his cousins had ventured near enough yet. It would be lunch soon, he thought, growing impatient. His elbows and knees were damp from tge ground. He might as well have just jumped out at Adrasteia, so that he had the satisfaction of surprising someone.

An irritated huff of breath puffed out through his straw. Gen peered through the leaves. The nearest group now were three of his cousins playing with a ball just on the otherside of the bushes–Xeno, Agape, and Hegite. Hegite, who had just yesterday tripped him in the yard, and laughed at how clumsy he was. “That’s what happens when you shirk training to play with a half-blind old man,” she had said, low enough that only Gen could hear.

Let her come just a little closer, Gen prayed. It would be more fun than anything.

Gen was patient. He readied himself to spring, and watched as Agape threw the ball a little to hard and giggled as it soared over Hegite’s head, bouncing and rolling past Gen’s leaf pile.

Hegite huffed at her sister, and marched around the bushes to retrieve the ball.

Closer. Closer.

Close enough.

Gen popped up, flinging leaves into the air and onto Hegite. She shrieked–the others shrieked, too. And Hegite jumped a clear in the air with surprise, and fell onto her backside.

Laughing and victorious, Gen was halfway back to the palace before the others had collected themselves. Hegite shouted his name and threats, and he although he didn’t look over his shoulder to check, he was sure she was giving chance. It didn’t matter. Gen was faster and light with glee. He was into the palace and away, grinning at the memory of the look on their faces.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a discussion over on the QT discord server, and for ewok_shoots_first who wanted me to write this.


End file.
